Methods and systems for processing database records based on results of a dynamic query session

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to methods and systems for the processing of database records based on results of a dynamic query session. More specifically, one or more templates can be defined. Each template can relate to a pre-defined condition of one or more records of the plurality of records and can define a dynamic query session related to the one or more records and one or more actions directed to the one or more records. The records can be monitored for an occurrence of the pre-defined condition on at least one record. In response to detecting the occurrence of the pre-defined condition on the at least one record, the dynamic query session related to the at least one record can be launched and the one or more actions can be initiated based on results of the dynamic query session.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to methods andsystems for managing transaction records in a database and moreparticularly to processing database records based on results of adynamic query session.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating elements of an exemplarycomputing environment in which embodiments of the present disclosure maybe implemented.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating elements of an exemplarycomputing device in which embodiments of the present disclosure may beimplemented.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary environment in whicha records management and processing system and data collection servicecan be implemented according to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating elements of an exemplary recordsmanagement and processing system according to one embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for processingdatabase records based on results of a dynamic query session accordingto one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a screenshot illustrating an exemplary user interface fordefining a note template according to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 7 is a screenshot illustrating an exemplary user interface fordefining rules for processing database records based on results of adynamic query session according to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 8 is a screenshot illustrating an exemplary user interface forconducting a dynamic query session according to one embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have thesame reference label. Further, various components of the same type maybe distinguished by following the reference label by a letter thatdistinguishes among the similar components. If only the first referencelabel is used in the specification, the description is applicable to anyone of the similar components having the same first reference labelirrespective of the second reference label.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of various embodiments disclosed herein. It will beapparent, however, to one skilled in the art that various embodiments ofthe present disclosure may be practiced without some of these specificdetails. The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only,and is not intended to limit the scope or applicability of thedisclosure. Furthermore, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presentdisclosure, the preceding description omits a number of known structuresand devices. This omission is not to be construed as a limitation of thescopes of the claims. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplaryembodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enablingdescription for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should howeverbe appreciated that the present disclosure may be practiced in a varietyof ways beyond the specific detail set forth herein.

While the exemplary aspects, embodiments, and/or configurationsillustrated herein show the various components of the system collocated,certain components of the system can be located remotely, at distantportions of a distributed network, such as a LAN and/or the Internet, orwithin a dedicated system. Thus, it should be appreciated, that thecomponents of the system can be combined in to one or more devices orcollocated on a particular node of a distributed network, such as ananalog and/or digital telecommunications network, a packet-switchnetwork, or a circuit-switched network. It will be appreciated from thefollowing description, and for reasons of computational efficiency, thatthe components of the system can be arranged at any location within adistributed network of components without affecting the operation of thesystem.

Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the various links connectingthe elements can be wired or wireless links, or any combination thereof,or any other known or later developed element(s) that is capable ofsupplying and/or communicating data to and from the connected elements.These wired or wireless links can also be secure links and may becapable of communicating encrypted information. Transmission media usedas links, for example, can be any suitable carrier for electricalsignals, including coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, and maytake the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated duringradio-wave and infra-red data communications.

As used herein, the phrases “at least one,” “one or more,” “or,” and“and/or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive anddisjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at leastone of A, B and C,” “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B,and C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” “A, B, and/or C,” and “A, B, or C”means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, Band C together, or A, B and C together.

The term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity. Assuch, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “at least one” can beused interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms“comprising,” “including,” and “having” can be used interchangeably.

The term “automatic” and variations thereof, as used herein, refers toany process or operation done without material human input when theprocess or operation is performed. However, a process or operation canbe automatic, even though performance of the process or operation usesmaterial or immaterial human input, if the input is received beforeperformance of the process or operation. Human input is deemed to bematerial if such input influences how the process or operation will beperformed. Human input that consents to the performance of the processor operation is not deemed to be “material.”

The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to anytangible storage and/or transmission medium that participate inproviding instructions to a processor for execution. Such a medium maytake many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media,volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media includes, forexample, NVRAM, or magnetic or optical disks. Volatile media includesdynamic memory, such as main memory. Common forms of computer-readablemedia include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk,magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, magneto-optical medium, aCD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any otherphysical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, aFLASH-EPROM, a solid state medium like a memory card, any other memorychip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any othermedium from which a computer can read. A digital file attachment toe-mail or other self-contained information archive or set of archives isconsidered a distribution medium equivalent to a tangible storagemedium. When the computer-readable media is configured as a database, itis to be understood that the database may be any type of database, suchas relational, hierarchical, object-oriented, and/or the like.Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include a tangible storagemedium or distribution medium and prior art-recognized equivalents andsuccessor media, in which the software implementations of the presentdisclosure are stored.

A “computer readable signal” medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Program codeembodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using anyappropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline,optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of theforegoing.

The terms “determine,” “calculate,” and “compute,” and variationsthereof, as used herein, are used interchangeably and include any typeof methodology, process, mathematical operation or technique.

It shall be understood that the term “means” as used herein shall begiven its broadest possible interpretation in accordance with 35 U.S.C.,Section 112, Paragraph 6. Accordingly, a claim incorporating the term“means” shall cover all structures, materials, or acts set forth herein,and all of the equivalents thereof. Further, the structures, materialsor acts and the equivalents thereof shall include all those described inthe summary of the disclosure, brief description of the drawings,detailed description, abstract, and claims themselves.

Aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirelyhardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (includingfirmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodimentcombining software and hardware aspects that may all generally bereferred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.” Any combinationof one or more computer readable medium(s) may be utilized. The computerreadable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computerreadable storage medium.

In yet another embodiment, the systems and methods of this disclosurecan be implemented in conjunction with a special purpose computer, aprogrammed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integratedcircuit element(s), an ASIC or other integrated circuit, a digitalsignal processor, a hard-wired electronic or logic circuit such asdiscrete element circuit, a programmable logic device or gate array suchas PLD, PLA, FPGA, PAL, special purpose computer, any comparable means,or the like. In general, any device(s) or means capable of implementingthe methodology illustrated herein can be used to implement the variousaspects of this disclosure. Exemplary hardware that can be used for thedisclosed embodiments, configurations, and aspects includes computers,handheld devices, telephones (e.g., cellular, Internet enabled, digital,analog, hybrids, and others), and other hardware known in the art. Someof these devices include processors (e.g., a single or multiplemicroprocessors), memory, nonvolatile storage, input devices, and outputdevices. Furthermore, alternative software implementations including,but not limited to, distributed processing or component/objectdistributed processing, parallel processing, or virtual machineprocessing can also be constructed to implement the methods describedherein.

Examples of the processors as described herein may include, but are notlimited to, at least one of Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 800 and 801, Qualcomm®Snapdragon® 610 and 615 with 4G LTE Integration and 64-bit computing,Apple® A7 processor with 64-bit architecture, Apple® M7 motioncoprocessors, Samsung® Exynos® series, the Intel® Core™ family ofprocessors, the Intel® Xeon® family of processors, the Intel® Atom™family of processors, the Intel Itanium® family of processors, Intel®Core® i5-4670K and i7-4770K 22 nm Haswell, Intel® Core® i5-3570K 22 nmIvy Bridge, the AMD® FX™ family of processors, AMD® FX-4300, FX-6300,and FX-8350 32 nm Vishera, AMD® Kaveri processors, Texas Instruments®Jacinto C6000™ automotive infotainment processors, Texas Instruments®OMAP™ automotive-grade mobile processors, ARM® Cortex™-M processors,ARM® Cortex-A and ARM926EJ-S™ processors, other industry-equivalentprocessors, and may perform computational functions using any known orfuture-developed standard, instruction set, libraries, and/orarchitecture.

In yet another embodiment, the disclosed methods may be readilyimplemented in conjunction with software using object or object-orientedsoftware development environments that provide portable source code thatcan be used on a variety of computer or workstation platforms.Alternatively, the disclosed system may be implemented partially orfully in hardware using standard logic circuits or VLSI design. Whethersoftware or hardware is used to implement the systems in accordance withthis disclosure is dependent on the speed and/or efficiency requirementsof the system, the particular function, and the particular software orhardware systems or microprocessor or microcomputer systems beingutilized.

In yet another embodiment, the disclosed methods may be partiallyimplemented in software that can be stored on a storage medium, executedon programmed general-purpose computer with the cooperation of acontroller and memory, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, orthe like. In these instances, the systems and methods of this disclosurecan be implemented as program embedded on personal computer such as anapplet, JAVA® or CGI script, as a resource residing on a server orcomputer workstation, as a routine embedded in a dedicated measurementsystem, system component, or the like. The system can also beimplemented by physically incorporating the system and/or method into asoftware and/or hardware system.

Although the present disclosure describes components and functionsimplemented in the aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations withreference to particular standards and protocols, the aspects,embodiments, and/or configurations are not limited to such standards andprotocols. Other similar standards and protocols not mentioned hereinare in existence and are considered to be included in the presentdisclosure. Moreover, the standards and protocols mentioned herein andother similar standards and protocols not mentioned herein areperiodically superseded by faster or more effective equivalents havingessentially the same functions. Such replacement standards and protocolshaving the same functions are considered equivalents included in thepresent disclosure.

Various additional details of embodiments of the present disclosure willbe described below with reference to the figures. While the flowchartswill be discussed and illustrated in relation to a particular sequenceof events, it should be appreciated that changes, additions, andomissions to this sequence can occur without materially affecting theoperation of the disclosed embodiments, configuration, and aspects.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating elements of an exemplarycomputing environment in which embodiments of the present disclosure maybe implemented. More specifically, this example illustrates a computingenvironment 100 that may function as the servers, user computers, orother systems provided and described herein. The environment 100includes one or more user computers, or computing devices, such as acomputing device 104, a communication device 108, and/or more 112. Thecomputing devices 104, 108, 112 may include general purpose personalcomputers (including, merely by way of example, personal computers,and/or laptop computers running various versions of Microsoft Corp.'sWindows® and/or Apple Corp.'s Macintosh® operating systems) and/orworkstation computers running any of a variety of commercially-availableUNIX® or UNIX-like operating systems. These computing devices 104, 108,112 may also have any of a variety of applications, including forexample, database client and/or server applications, and web browserapplications. Alternatively, the computing devices 104, 108, 112 may beany other electronic device, such as a thin-client computer,Internet-enabled mobile telephone, and/or personal digital assistant,capable of communicating via a network 110 and/or displaying andnavigating web pages or other types of electronic documents. Althoughthe exemplary computer environment 100 is shown with two computingdevices, any number of user computers or computing devices may besupported.

Environment 100 further includes a network 110. The network 110 may canbe any type of network familiar to those skilled in the art that cansupport data communications using any of a variety ofcommercially-available protocols, including without limitation SIP,TCP/IP, SNA, IPX, AppleTalk, and the like. Merely by way of example, thenetwork 110 maybe a local area network (“LAN”), such as an Ethernetnetwork, a Token-Ring network and/or the like; a wide-area network; avirtual network, including without limitation a virtual private network(“VPN”); the Internet; an intranet; an extranet; a public switchedtelephone network (“PSTN”); an infra-red network; a wireless network(e.g., a network operating under any of the IEEE 802.9 suite ofprotocols, the Bluetooth® protocol known in the art, and/or any otherwireless protocol); and/or any combination of these and/or othernetworks.

The system may also include one or more servers 114, 116. In thisexample, server 114 is shown as a web server and server 116 is shown asan application server. The web server 114, which may be used to processrequests for web pages or other electronic documents from computingdevices 104, 108, 112. The web server 114 can be running an operatingsystem including any of those discussed above, as well as anycommercially-available server operating systems. The web server 114 canalso run a variety of server applications, including SIP (SessionInitiation Protocol) servers, HTTP(s) servers, FTP servers, CGI servers,database servers, Java servers, and the like. In some instances, the webserver 114 may publish operations available operations as one or moreweb services.

The environment 100 may also include one or more file and or/applicationservers 116, which can, in addition to an operating system, include oneor more applications accessible by a client running on one or more ofthe computing devices 104, 108, 112. The server(s) 116 and/or 114 may beone or more general purpose computers capable of executing programs orscripts in response to the computing devices 104, 108, 112. As oneexample, the server 116, 114 may execute one or more web applications.The web application may be implemented as one or more scripts orprograms written in any programming language, such as Java™, C, C#®, orC++, and/or any scripting language, such as Perl, Python, or TCL, aswell as combinations of any programming/scripting languages. Theapplication server(s) 116 may also include database servers, includingwithout limitation those commercially available from Oracle®,Microsoft®, Sybase®, IBM® and the like, which can process requests fromdatabase clients running on a computing device 104, 108, 112.

The web pages created by the server 114 and/or 116 may be forwarded to acomputing device 104, 108, 112 via a web (file) server 114, 116.Similarly, the web server 114 may be able to receive web page requests,web services invocations, and/or input data from a computing device 104,108, 112 (e.g., a user computer, etc.) and can forward the web pagerequests and/or input data to the web (application) server 116. Infurther embodiments, the server 116 may function as a file server.Although for ease of description, FIG. 1 illustrates a separate webserver 114 and file/application server 116, those skilled in the artwill recognize that the functions described with respect to servers 114,116 may be performed by a single server and/or a plurality ofspecialized servers, depending on implementation-specific needs andparameters. The computer systems 104, 108, 112, web (file) server 114and/or web (application) server 116 may function as the system, devices,or components described herein.

The environment 100 may also include a database 118. The database 118may reside in a variety of locations. By way of example, database 118may reside on a storage medium local to (and/or resident in) one or moreof the computers 104, 108, 112, 114, 116. Alternatively, it may beremote from any or all of the computers 104, 108, 112, 114, 116, and incommunication (e.g., via the network 110) with one or more of these. Thedatabase 118 may reside in a storage-area network (“SAN”) familiar tothose skilled in the art. Similarly, any necessary files for performingthe functions attributed to the computers 104, 108, 112, 114, 116 may bestored locally on the respective computer and/or remotely, asappropriate. The database 118 may be a relational database, such asOracle 20i®, that is adapted to store, update, and retrieve data inresponse to SQL-formatted commands.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating elements of an exemplarycomputing device in which embodiments of the present disclosure may beimplemented. More specifically, this example illustrates one embodimentof a computer system 200 upon which the servers, user computers,computing devices, or other systems or components described above may bedeployed or executed. The computer system 200 is shown comprisinghardware elements that may be electrically coupled via a bus 204. Thehardware elements may include one or more central processing units(CPUs) 208; one or more input devices 212 (e.g., a mouse, a keyboard,etc.); and one or more output devices 216 (e.g., a display device, aprinter, etc.). The computer system 200 may also include one or morestorage devices 220. By way of example, storage device(s) 220 may bedisk drives, optical storage devices, solid-state storage devices suchas a random-access memory (“RAM”) and/or a read-only memory (“ROM”),which can be programmable, flash-updateable and/or the like.

The computer system 200 may additionally include a computer-readablestorage media reader 224; a communications system 228 (e.g., a modem, anetwork card (wireless or wired), an infra-red communication device,etc.); and working memory 236, which may include RAM and ROM devices asdescribed above. The computer system 200 may also include a processingacceleration unit 232, which can include a DSP, a special-purposeprocessor, and/or the like.

The computer-readable storage media reader 224 can further be connectedto a computer-readable storage medium, together (and, optionally, incombination with storage device(s) 220) comprehensively representingremote, local, fixed, and/or removable storage devices plus storagemedia for temporarily and/or more permanently containingcomputer-readable information. The communications system 228 may permitdata to be exchanged with a network and/or any other computer describedabove with respect to the computer environments described herein.Moreover, as disclosed herein, the term “storage medium” may representone or more devices for storing data, including read only memory (ROM),random access memory (RAM), magnetic RAM, core memory, magnetic diskstorage mediums, optical storage mediums, flash memory devices and/orother machine-readable mediums for storing information.

The computer system 200 may also comprise software elements, shown asbeing currently located within a working memory 236, including anoperating system 240 and/or other code 244. It should be appreciatedthat alternate embodiments of a computer system 200 may have numerousvariations from that described above. For example, customized hardwaremight also be used and/or particular elements might be implemented inhardware, software (including portable software, such as applets), orboth. Further, connection to other computing devices such as networkinput/output devices may be employed.

Examples of the processors 208 as described herein may include, but arenot limited to, at least one of Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 800 and 801,Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 620 and 615 with 4G LTE Integration and 64-bitcomputing, Apple® A7 processor with 64-bit architecture, Apple® M7motion coprocessors, Samsung® Exynos® series, the Intel® Core™ family ofprocessors, the Intel® Xeon® family of processors, the Intel® Atom™family of processors, the Intel Itanium® family of processors, Intel®Core® i5-4670K and i7-4770K 22 nm Haswell, Intel® Core® i5-3570K 22 nmIvy Bridge, the AMD® FX™ family of processors, AMD® FX-4300, FX-6300,and FX-8350 32 nm Vishera, AMD® Kaveri processors, Texas Instruments®Jacinto C6000™ automotive infotainment processors, Texas Instruments®OMAP™ automotive-grade mobile processors, ARM® Cortex™-M processors,ARM® Cortex-A and ARM926EJ-S™ processors, other industry-equivalentprocessors, and may perform computational functions using any known orfuture-developed standard, instruction set, libraries, and/orarchitecture.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary environment in whicha records management and processing system and data collection servicecan be implemented according to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure. As illustrated in this example, the environment 300 caninclude a number of different systems. Specifically, the environment 300can include a records management and processing system 305 which cancomprise a server or other computing device as described above. Therecords management and processing system 305 can be communicativelycoupled with a communication network 310 such as the Internet or anyother one or more wired or wireless, local or wide area networks. Theenvironment 300 can also include a number of service provider systems315A-315C each of which can comprise a server or other computing deviceas described above and which can also be communicatively coupled withthe communication network 310. Furthermore, the environment 300 caninclude a number of responsible entity systems 320A-320C each of whichcan comprise a server or other computing device as described above andwhich can also be communicatively coupled with the communication network310. It should be noted that while three service provider systems315A-315C and three responsible entity systems 320A-320C are shown herefor illustrative purposes, any number of such systems 315A-315C and320A-320C can be present in various different implementations withoutdeparting from the scope of the present disclosure.

According to one implementation, the service provider systems 315A-315Ccan represent those servers or other computer systems typicallyassociated with an entity providing a service consumer. In oneembodiment, the providers of the services can comprise healthcareproviders such as hospital, doctors, physical therapists, counsellors,out-patient and/or urgent care facilities, pharmacies, or other suchproviders while the consumer can comprise a patient. In suchembodiments, the responsible party systems 320A-320C can comprise, forexample, those servers or other computer systems typically associatedwith an entity responsible for some duties related to the delivery ofand/or payment for those services. For example, responsible parties caninclude third-party payors including but not limited to insurancecompanies, Medicare, Medicaid, and/or other private, governmental, ormixed public/private entities. While described here with reference tohealthcare providers and third-party payors such as insurance companies,it should be understood that various embodiments of the presentdisclosure are not limited to such implementations. Rather, embodimentsof the present invention are believed to be equally adaptable to anduseful in environments and systems which process a large volume ofelectronic records according to complex rules and regulations, businessor financial arrangements, etc.

Regardless of the exact implementation of nature of the entitiesinvolved, the records management and processing system 305 can comprisean intermediary between a plurality of service providers systems315A-315C and the plurality of responsible entity systems 320A-320C. Assuch and as will be described in greater detail below, the recordsmanagement and processing system 305 can maintain a set of recordsrelated to services provided to a consumer by each or the serviceproviders and for which at least one of the responsible entities isresponsible in some way, e.g., granting approval, making a payment,providing some additional information, etc. In the normal course ofprocessing such records and such transactions, the records managementand processing system 305 may experience a delay in the handling of somerecords. For example, delays can be caused by data anomalies in recordsprovided to the records management and processing system 305 by theservice provider systems 315A-315C. In other cases, delays can be causedby a problem or potential problem with the handling of records or theperformance of required actions by the responsible entity systems320A-320C. In the example of the healthcare implementation describedabove, the records can represent, at least in part, payments to be madeby the responsible entities to the service providers and thus, canrepresent accounts receivable for the service providers. As such, thetimely completion of handling such records can directly impacts thecashflow of the service providers. Additionally, the longer processingof such records is delayed, the more likely the payments will becomecontested or otherwise become problematic. In other implementations, thetimely processing of records by the records management and processingsystem 305 can be equally important for a variety of other reasons.

Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed tomethods and systems for the timely processing of records by the recordsmanagement and processing system 305 exchanged between the serviceprovider systems 315A-315C and the responsible entity systems 320A-320C.More specifically, the records management and processing system 305 canmaintain a set of rules defining conditions for processing records andassociated actions to affect that processing upon satisfaction of orfailure to satisfy the conditions of that rule. The records managementand processing system 305 can also maintain tags identifying data in arecord, current status of processing of a record, or other informationabout the record. The records management and processing system 305 canapply the rules to the records and assign tags to the records based onthe conditions defined in the applied rules. The records management andprocessing system 305 can then process the records according toworkflows for processing the records based on the assigned tags andapplied rules.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating elements of an exemplary recordsmanagement and processing system according to one embodiment of thepresent disclosure. As illustrated in this example, the recordsmanagement and processing system 305 as described above can comprise aset of records maintained in a database 405 or other repository. Asnoted above, each record of the set of records in the database cancomprise a record of a service provided to a consumer by a serviceprovider and can identify at least one required action by at least oneresponsible entity of a plurality of responsible entities. Also, asdescribed above, the records management and processing system 305 cancomprise an intermediary between systems of the plurality of serviceproviders and systems of the plurality of responsible entities.

The records management and processing system 305 can also maintain oneor more rules 410 for managing and processing the records of thedatabase 405. Generally speaking, a rule can comprise a definition ofone or more conditions and an associated one or more actions to beperformed upon satisfaction, or failure to satisfy, the conditions ofthat rule. Accordingly, each rule 410 maintained by the recordsmanagement and processing system 305 can comprise one or more conditionsfor processing one or more records of the set of records 405 and atleast one associated action to affect processing of the one or morerecords upon satisfaction of or failure to satisfy the one or moreconditions of the rule 410. The conditions defined in some of theserules 410 can comprise conditions to be satisfied by one or more of theresponsible entities 320A-320C described above. For example, one or morerules can define timing or other conditions a payment by a third-partypayor, e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, an insurance company, etc., for aservice rendered by the service provider, e.g., a hospital, doctor,pharmacy, etc., to the consumer/patient. Additionally, or alternatively,conditions defined in some of the rules 410 can define parameters fordata in the record. For example, rules 410 can be defined for performingchecks on the values of various fields of data in the records 405 suchas comparing different fields, e.g., a value of total charges relativeto a value of total adjustments, etc.

To facilitate definition of the rules 410, the records management andprocessing system 305 can further comprise a rules definition module415. Generally speaking, the rules definition module 415 can compriseone or more applications executed by the records management andprocessing system 305 and which provide a rules definition interface420. The rules definition interface 420 can include, for example, one ormore webpages or other, similar interfaces providing elements throughwhich an authorized user, such as an administrator or manager, canselect or otherwise input conditions and corresponding actions for a newor modified rule. Once defined in this manner, the new or modified rulecan be saved in the set of rules 410 and made available for applicationby the records management and processing system 305.

The records management and processing system 305 can also maintain a setof tags 425 for managing and processing the records 405. Generallyspeaking, these tags 425 can comprise a flag, metadata, or otherinformation used to describe, explain, mark, or otherwise identifyrecords in the set of records 405. For example, the tags 425 caninclude, but are not limited to, tags used to identify data in a record405, a current status of processing of the record 405, or otherinformation about the record. As will be described, these tags 425 canbe used to identify records 405 that merit additional attention and/orprocessing and thus, the absence of tags associated with a record canimplicitly indicate that additional attention or handling is not neededfor that record.

To facilitate definition and use of the tags 425, the records managementand processing system 305 can further comprise a tag definition andassignment module 430. Generally speaking, the tag definition andassignment module 430 can comprise one or more applications executed bythe records management and processing system 305 and which provide a tagdefinition and assignment interface 435. The tag definition andassignment interface 435 can include, for example, one or more webpagesor other, similar interfaces providing elements through which anauthorized user, such as an administrator or manager, can select orotherwise input definitions of new or modified tags. Once defined inthis manner, the new or modified tag can be saved in the set of tags 430and made available for application by the records management andprocessing system 305.

The records management and processing system 305 can also comprise arules engine 440. Generally speaking, the rules engine can comprise oneor more applications executed by the records management and processingsystem 305 and which can read and apply the rules 410 to the records405. That is, the rules engine 440 can compare the records stored in thedatabase 405 to the conditions for the rules 410 and, upon findingrecords that satisfy, or fail to satisfy as the case may be anddepending upon how the condition is defined, can perform or cause to beperformed the action associated with the satisfied or failed condition.These actions can include, for example, applying one or more of the tags425 to the identified records 405 or presenting the identified recordsto a user and receiving an indication of the tag(s) to be applied. Thetag(s) 425 applied to a record can identify or mark that record forfurther attention to advance the processing of that record. Thus,records that are not tagged do not require additional attention orprocessing outside of normal processes since they are in a condition asdefined in the rules as being normal or acceptable, e.g., within defineddeadlines or other time limits etc. In other words, processing can beapplied to one set of records based on the tags applied while processingof another set of records can be postponed or delayed so that the firstset of records can be given more attention and resources.

The rules engine 440 can apply the rules 410 to the records 405periodically, on demand, or upon the occurrence of predefined event orthe satisfaction of one or more predefined conditions. For example, therules engine 440 can apply the rules 410 as part of a routine processperformed each day, week, month, or other period, and/or may beinitiated or kicked off upon request by an authorized user of the systemsuch as a manager or supervisor. As noted above, applying the rules 410can include tagging one or more records based on the applied rules 410.Additionally, or alternatively, tags can be applied to one or morerecords based on a user selection or input. For example, a user viewinga set of records can select records from that set and apply one or moretags to those selected records based on conditions the user perceivesand which may or may not be defined in the rules. Thus, tagging ofrecords can be driven by the applied rules or based on input from a userand the tags applied in either way can influence the further handling ofthose tagged records.

According to one embodiment and as illustrated here, the recordsmanagement and processing system 305 can also comprise a workflow engine445 and a set of predefined workflows 450. Generally speaking, aworkflow 450 can comprise a set of one or more steps to be performed onor related to a record. These steps can be wholly machine executable ormay, in some cases, rely on some degree of human intervention. Forexample, these steps can range from presenting data from a tagged recordin a user interface to a human operator, such as a collector, for anaction to be performed by the operator, e.g., calling a payor orperforming some other follow-up action, to a completely automatedprocess such as sending an automatically generated communication to apayor system or combinations of various such human and machine actions.The workflow engine 445 can comprise one or more applications executedby the records management and processing system 305 and which, duringexecution, can read the predefined workflows 450 and implement orperform the steps defined therein. The workflows 450 can comprise a setof predefined, executable steps directed to advancing the processing ofthe records 405 identified by the rules 405 and tagged as describedabove. The workflow engine 445 can execute the workflows 450 byselecting a workflow 450 based on the tags 425 for a record 405 andexecuting the selected workflow 450 using the information from thatrecord and, in some cases, based on further application of one or morerules 410 related to the tags 425 applied to that record 405. Thus, theconditions and associated actions defined in the rules 410 can also beapplied by the workflow engine 445 as it executes the workflows 450. Theworkflow engine 445 can also provide a workflow user interface 450 forviewing and managing one or more workflows for processing records.

Therefore, the rules engine 440 can apply one or more of the rules 410to the records saved in the database 405 to identify those records whichshould be further processed or given further scrutiny and mark thoserecords with one or more tags 425. In this way, those records found tobe within normal or acceptable conditions according to the applied rulesneed not be subjected to further scrutiny and/or processing thus savingresources such as human effort, processing overhead, etc. In otherwords, processing of one set of records can be performed in an expeditedor priority manner while processing of another set of records can bede-prioritized or postponed based on the tags applied to the recordswhich is in turn based on the rules or input from a user.

One or more predefined workflow processes 450 can then be selected,e.g., based on the applied tags, initiated, and executed by the workflowengine 445 to further process those tagged records. The workflows 450can be initiated automatically, e.g., triggered by the rules engine 445upon completion of applying the tags 425, upon the occurrence of certainconditions, e.g., as defined in one or more rules 410, at apredetermined or pre-scheduled time, upon request, or in a variety ofother ways without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.Processing the tagged records 405 by the workflow engine 445 cancomprise performing the steps defined in the workflows 450, which caninclude applying the selected or additional rules 410 to the recordsbeing processed, in order to advance the handling of those records 405by the records management and processing system 305, e.g., move anaccount towards payment or other resolution. Additional details ofprocessing the records 405 by the workflow engine 445 based on theapplied rules 410 and tags 425 according to various embodiments of thepresent disclosure will be described below.

To further facilitate this processing of the records 405 the recordsmanagement and processing system 305 can further include an annotationengine 460. Generally speaking, the annotation engine 460 can be adaptedto add notes or other annotations to the records 405. For example, theannotation engine 460 can present an user interface 465 such as aninterface as will be described below with reference to FIG. 8, Throughsuch interfaces, a user may add a note or other annotation to the recordto indicate, for example, a current status of the record, an actiontaken on the record, an action required or to be taken on the record,etc. According to one embodiment, and to facilitate the making of suchannotations, these annotations can be collected as part of a dynamicquery session. As used herein, the term dynamic query session isintended to mean a process conducted by the annotation engine 460through which information related to one or more records of interest iscollected from one or more sources. These sources can be one or moreusers of the records processing and management system 305, the record ofinterest itself and/or other records in the plurality of records 405,and/or other sources accessible by the records processing and managementsystem 405 including but not limited to users, records, and/or servicesof other systems such as a of other systems such as a service providersystem 315, a responsible entity system 320, etc. The dynamic querysession can be conducted in the form of a question-and-answer session inwhich questions are posed to users and/or form the basis of a databasequery on the records 405 or calls to systems or services of othersystems. These queries are referred to as dynamic in that the answerobtained for one query can change or influence a subsequent querypresented. For example, the questions to be posed or queries to be madein a session can be arranged as part of a decision tree or similarstructure that can be navigated as answers or information are obtained.

To implement such a dynamic query session, the annotation engine 460 canbe adapted to define and utilize a set of note templates 470. Generallyspeaking, each template 470 can define a dynamic query session for aparticular condition on a record or set of records, e.g., a value of afield of the record, aging of the record, etc. Each template 470 canalso identify one or more actions to be taken based on results of thedynamic query session, i.e., based on the answers collected. Theseactions can be defined, for example, in one or more rules 410 andimplementing those actions can additionally, or alternatively, compriseinitiating a workflow 450 as described above, for example. Each template470 can also define a format and content for an annotation to be addedto a record for which the dynamic query session is executed. Theannotation can include both predefined text as well as answers orresults obtained by the dynamic query session. Such templates can bedefined by the annotation engine 460, for example, through a userinterface such as will be described below with reference to FIG. 6 whilerules related to the dynamic query session can be defined by theannotation engine 460 through a user interface such as will be describedbelow with reference to FIG. 7.

So, referring to the healthcare records example used herein, a template470 can be defined for conducting a dynamic query session when one ormore records are found to have a balance exceeding a pre-definedthreshold for longer than a pre-defined period of time, which can bedefined in a rule 410 associated with that template 470. The template470 can further define questions to be answered by the dynamic querysession when executed by the annotation engine 460. Some of thesequestions, such as the account number, current balance, payor orresponsible entity, etc., can be directly and automatically answered bythe annotation engine 460 by querying the records 405. Other questions,such as a reason for the delay in payment and an estimate of whenpayment will be made, may be presented to a user through the notes userinterface 465. The rule associated with the template can initiateactions such as requiring or enforcing a status update on the datepayment is expected, initiating a communication such as a letter oremail to one or more users of the records processing and managementsystem 305 and/or responsible entity system 320, launching a workflow450, or any other of a variety of actions that can be contemplated.

Stated another way, managing and processing database records cancomprise maintaining, by the records management and processing system305, a plurality of records 405 in a database. As described above, eachrecord of the plurality of records 405 can comprise a record of aservice provided to a consumer by a service provider of a plurality ofservice providers can identifying at least one required action by atleast one responsible entity of a plurality of responsible entities. Therecords management and processing system 305 can also define one or morerules 410. Also as described above, each rule can comprise one or moreconditions for processing one or more records of the plurality ofrecords 405 and at least one associated action to affect processing ofthe one or more records 405 upon satisfaction of the one or moreconditions of the rule.

The annotation engine 460 of the records management and processingsystem 305 can further define one or more templates 470. Each templatecan be related to a pre-defined condition of one or more records of theplurality of records 405 and can define a dynamic query session relatedto the one or more records 405 and one or more actions directed to theone or more records 405. The pre-defined condition can comprise an eventrelated to each of the one or more records, a value of a field in eachof the one or more records, or other condition. Each template 470 canfurther define an annotation to be made to the one or more records 405based on the results of the dynamic query session. In some cases,defining the one or more rules 410 can comprise defining at least onerule defining the one or more actions directed to the one or morerecords 405 based on the results of the dynamic query session.

The annotation engine 460 of the records management and processingsystem 305 can then monitory the plurality of records 405 for anoccurrence of the pre-defined condition on at least one record of theplurality of records 405. In response to detecting the occurrence of thepre-defined condition on the at least one record of the plurality ofrecords, the annotation engine 460 of the records management andprocessing system 305 can launch the dynamic query session related tothe at least one record and initiate the one or more actions based onresults of the dynamic query session. Launching the dynamic querysession can comprise assigning, by the annotation engine 460 of therecords management and processing system 305, a result to at least onequery of the dynamic query session. Additionally, or alternatively,launching the dynamic query session can comprise presenting, by theannotation engine 460 of the records management and processing system305, through a user interface 465, a prompt to a user of the recordsmanagement and processing system. The prompt can indicate at least onequery of the dynamic query session. The annotation engine 460 of therecords management and processing system 305 can receive, from the user,a result for the at least one query. Once the answers have been obtainedand/or received, the annotation engine 460 can add an annotationpre-defined in the template 470 to the at least one record and initiateone or more actions, also identified in the template, related to therecord.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for processingdatabase records based on results of a dynamic query session accordingto one embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated in thisexample, managing and processing database records can comprisemaintaining 505 a set of records in a database. Each record of the setof records can comprise a record of a service provided to a consumer bya service provider of a plurality of service providers and can identifyat least one required action by at least one responsible entity of aplurality of responsible entities. As described above, the systemmanaging and processing the database records can comprise anintermediary between systems of the plurality of service providers andsystems of the plurality of responsible entities.

One or more rules can be defined 510 for managing and processing therecords. Each rule can comprise one or more conditions for processingone or more records of the set of records and at least one associatedaction to affect processing of the one or more records upon satisfactionof or failure to satisfy the one or more conditions of the rule. In somecases, the one or more conditions defined in at least one rule cancomprise conditions to be satisfied in the processing of the record,e.g., a due date, an allowable time since a last action, etc.Additionally, or alternatively, the one or more conditions defined in atleast one rule can define or identify data in the record provided by theservice provider. For example, one or more rules can define checks to beperformed on various fields of data in the record provided by theservice providers such as defining proper form and/or content fordescriptions, comparing different fields such as total charges relativeto total adjustments, etc.

A plurality of tags can also be defined 515 for managing and processingthe records. Each tag of the plurality of tags can comprise informationidentifying data in a record, current status of processing of a record,or other information about a record of the plurality of records. Thatis, each tag can comprise a flag, metadata, or other information to beadded to or associated with a record to indicate a status or state ofthe data or a status or state of processing the record that meritsadditional attention and/or processing, e.g., a condition or result hasoccurred while processing a given record that is defined by a rule orrules as indicating an exception or condition with the record or theprocessing of that record that merits additional attention or furtherhandling. By doing so, those records that are not tagged can beimplicitly identified as not requiring further attention or handling andtherefore, the processing of those records can be de-prioritized orpostponed while resources are dedicated to processing or the recordsthat do merit additional attention or further handling.

As described above, one or more templates can be defined 520. Eachtemplate can be related to a pre-defined condition of one or morerecords of the plurality of records. The pre-defined condition cancomprise, for example, an event related to each of the one or morerecords, a value of a field in each of the one or more records, anaction taken on the record or not taken for a specified amount of time,etc. Each template can define a dynamic query session related to the oneor more records and one or more actions directed to the one or morerecords and which can be taken based on the results of the dynamic querysession. For example, defining 510 the one or more rules can comprisedefining at least one rule defining the one or more actions directed tothe one or more records based on the results of the dynamic querysession. Each template can also define an annotation to be made to theone or more records based on the results of the dynamic query session.

The plurality of records can then be monitored 525 for an occurrence ofthe pre-defined condition on at least one record of the plurality ofrecords. This monitoring can be done in real-time, on a periodic basis,e.g., daily, weekly, etc., or in response to a request. A determination530 can be made as to whether the pre-defined condition has occurred oris present. In response to determining 530 the occurrence of thepre-defined condition on the at least one record of the plurality ofrecords, the dynamic query session defined in the template(s) associatedwith the condition related to the at least one record can be launched535. Launching 535 the dynamic query session comprises automaticallyassigning, by the records management and processing system describedabove, a result to at least one query of the dynamic query session.Additionally, or alternatively, launching 535 the dynamic query sessioncan comprise presenting, through a user interface, a prompt to a user.The prompt can indicate at least one query of the dynamic query session,e.g., by presenting a question to be answered by the user, and a resultor answer for the at least one query can be received from the user. Theone or more actions defined in the template can then be initiated basedon results of the dynamic query session. Initiating the one or moreactions can comprise, for example, initiating a workflow of tasks to beperformed on any one or more systems to further the processing of therecords.

Various exemplary user interfaces for defining templates, definingrules, and conducting a dynamic query session will be described withreference to FIGS. 6-8. It should be understood that these interfacesare described here for illustrative purposes and are offered only by wayof example. It should also be understood that these examples are notintended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Rather, thecontent, format, and other aspects of the interfaces can varysignificantly depending upon the implementation. All such variations arecontemplated and considered to be within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 6 is a screenshot illustrating an exemplary user interface fordefining a note template according to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure. As illustrated in this example, the interface 600 caninclude a number of elements through which a user may define a notetemplate. For example, the interface 600 can include a textbox 605 orother element through which the user can define a name for the template.Other elements can include a textbox 610 or other element through whichthe user may enter or select a question, a checkbox 615 or other elementthrough which the user may indicate whether the question is required tobe answered, and a set of combo boxes 620, 625, and 630 through whichthe user can select or otherwise define respectively an answer type,valid values for the answers, and a default value, if any. The interface600 can also include a textbox or other element through which the usercan define the content and format for an annotation to be added to arecord once the answers are received.

FIG. 7 is a screenshot illustrating an exemplary user interface fordefining rules for processing database records based on results of adynamic query session according to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure. As illustrated in this example, the interface 700 caninclude a textbox 705 or other element for defining a name for the rule.A set of checkboxes can allow the user to select various other actionsand features for the ml. For example, a checkbox 710 can allow the userto select or specify whether a follow up action is to be performed andone or more combo boxes 712 and 714 can be provided through which theuser may select or define various possible follow up actions. Anothercheckbox 715 can allow the user to select whether a dynamic querysession should be initiated, e.g., though a note wizard as describedabove, and a textbox or other element can allow the user to select atemplate to use for the session. A checkbox 725 and combo box 730 orother set of elements can be provided to allow the user to specify thatthe record should be tagged and to select or define the tag applied whenthe rule is executed. Another combo box may be provided to allow theuser to select or define a template to use for a letter, email, or othercommunication to be sent in response to the rule being applied.

FIG. 8 is a screenshot illustrating an exemplary user interface forconducting a dynamic query session according to one embodiment of thepresent disclosure. As illustrated in this example, the interface 800can include text for a set of questions 805, 810, and 815 andcorresponding answers 820, 825, and 830. As noted above, some answers820, 825, and 830 can be provided automatically by the system based onthe information of the record. As illustrated here, such answers can beprovided, for example, in combo boxes or other elements allowing theuser to change the answer if necessary. Text for other questions 835 and840 can be provided along with a text box 845 and/or other element 850through which the user can manually provide an answer. Text can also beprovided indicating an annotation 855 to be added to the record once allanswers are provided.

The present disclosure, in various aspects, embodiments, and/orconfigurations, includes components, methods, processes, systems, and/orapparatus substantially as depicted and described herein, includingvarious aspects, embodiments, configurations embodiments,sub-combinations, and/or subsets thereof. Those of skill in the art willunderstand how to make and use the disclosed aspects, embodiments,and/or configurations after understanding the present disclosure. Thepresent disclosure, in various aspects, embodiments, and/orconfigurations, includes providing devices and processes in the absenceof items not depicted and/or described herein or in various aspects,embodiments, and/or configurations hereof, including in the absence ofsuch items as may have been used in previous devices or processes, e.g.,for improving performance, achieving ease and\or reducing cost ofimplementation.

The foregoing discussion has been presented for purposes of illustrationand description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the disclosureto the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing DetailedDescription for example, various features of the disclosure are groupedtogether in one or more aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations forthe purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The features of the aspects,embodiments, and/or configurations of the disclosure may be combined inalternate aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations other than thosediscussed above. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claims require more features than areexpressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claimsreflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a singleforegoing disclosed aspect, embodiment, and/or configuration. Thus, thefollowing claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description,with each claim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodimentof the disclosure.

Moreover, though the description has included description of one or moreaspects, embodiments, and/or configurations and certain variations andmodifications, other variations, combinations, and modifications arewithin the scope of the disclosure, e.g., as may be within the skill andknowledge of those in the art, after understanding the presentdisclosure. It is intended to obtain rights which include alternativeaspects, embodiments, and/or configurations to the extent permitted,including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures,functions, ranges or steps to those claimed, whether or not suchalternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions,ranges or steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publiclydedicate any patentable subject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for managing and processing databaserecords, the method comprising: maintaining, by a records management andprocessing system, a plurality of records in a database, each record ofthe plurality of records comprising a record of a service provided to aconsumer by a service provider of a plurality of service providers andidentifying at least one required action by at least one responsibleentity of a plurality of responsible entities and wherein the recordsmanagement and processing system comprises an intermediary betweensystems of the plurality of service providers and systems of theplurality of responsible entities; defining, by the records managementand processing system, one or more rules, each rule comprising one ormore conditions for processing one or more records of the plurality ofrecords and at least one associated action to affect processing of theone or more records upon satisfaction of the one or more conditions ofthe rule; defining, by the records management and processing system, oneor more templates, each template related to a pre-defined condition ofone or more records of the plurality of records and defining a dynamicquery session related to the one or more records and one or more actionsdirected to the one or more records; monitoring, by the recordsmanagement and processing system, the plurality of records for anoccurrence of the pre-defined condition on at least one record of theplurality of records; and in response to detecting the occurrence of thepre-defined condition on the at least one record of the plurality ofrecords, launching, by the records management and processing system, thedynamic query session related to the at least one record, andinitiating, by the records management and processing system, the one ormore actions based on results of the dynamic query session.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein each template further defines an annotationto be made to the one or more records based on the results of thedynamic query session.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein defining theone or more rules comprising defining at least one rule defining the oneor more actions directed to the one or more records based on the resultsof the dynamic query session.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein thepre-defined condition comprises an event related to each of the one ormore records.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the pre-definedcondition comprises s value of a field in each of the one or morerecords.
 6. The method of claim 3, wherein launching the dynamic querysession comprises assigning, by the records management and processingsystem, a result to at least one query of the dynamic query session. 7.The method of claim 3, wherein launching the dynamic query sessioncomprises presenting, by the records management and processing system,through a user interface, a prompt to a user of the records managementand processing system, the prompt indicating at least one query of thedynamic query session, and receiving, by the records management andprocessing system, from the user, a result for the at least one query.8. A system comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled with andreadable by the processor and storing therein a set of instructionswhich, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to manageand process database records by: maintaining a plurality of records in adatabase, each record of the plurality of records comprising a record ofa service provided to a consumer by a service provider of a plurality ofservice providers and identifying at least one required action by atleast one responsible entity of a plurality of responsible entities andwherein the records management and processing system comprises anintermediary between systems of the plurality of service providers andsystems of the plurality of responsible entities; defining one or morerules, each rule comprising one or more conditions for processing one ormore records of the plurality of records and at least one associatedaction to affect processing of the one or more records upon satisfactionof the one or more conditions of the rule; defining one or moretemplates, each template related to a pre-defined condition of one ormore records of the plurality of records and defining a dynamic querysession related to the one or more records and one or more actionsdirected to the one or more records; monitoring the plurality of recordsfor an occurrence of the pre-defined condition on at least one record ofthe plurality of records; and in response to detecting the occurrence ofthe pre-defined condition on the at least one record of the plurality ofrecords, launching the dynamic query session related to the at least onerecord, and initiating the one or more actions based on results of thedynamic query session.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein each templatefurther defines an annotation to be made to the one or more recordsbased on the results of the dynamic query session.
 10. The system ofclaim 9, wherein defining the one or more rules comprises defining atleast one rule defining the one or more actions directed to the one ormore records based on the results of the dynamic query session.
 11. Thesystem of claim 10, wherein the pre-defined condition comprises an eventrelated to each of the one or more records.
 12. The system of claim 10,wherein the pre-defined condition comprises s value of a field in eachof the one or more records.
 13. The system of claim 10, whereinlaunching the dynamic query session comprises assigning a result to atleast one query of the dynamic query session.
 14. The system of claim10, wherein launching the dynamic query session comprises presenting,through a user interface, a prompt to a user of the system, the promptindicating at least one query of the dynamic query session, andreceiving, from the user, a result for the at least one query.
 15. Anon-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising a set ofinstructions stored therein which, when executed by a processor, causesthe processor to manage and process database records by: maintaining aplurality of records in a database, each record of the plurality ofrecords comprising a record of a service provided to a consumer by aservice provider of a plurality of service providers and identifying atleast one required action by at least one responsible entity of aplurality of responsible entities and wherein the records management andprocessing system comprises an intermediary between systems of theplurality of service providers and systems of the plurality ofresponsible entities; defining one or more rules, each rule comprisingone or more conditions for processing one or more records of theplurality of records and at least one associated action to affectprocessing of the one or more records upon satisfaction of the one ormore conditions of the rule; defining one or more templates, eachtemplate related to a pre-defined condition of one or more records ofthe plurality of records and defining a dynamic query session related tothe one or more records, one or more actions directed to the one or morerecords, and an annotation to be made to the one or more records basedon results of the dynamic query session; monitoring the plurality ofrecords for an occurrence of the pre-defined condition on at least onerecord of the plurality of records; and in response to detecting theoccurrence of the pre-defined condition on the at least one record ofthe plurality of records, launching the dynamic query session related tothe at least one record, and initiating the one or more actions based onthe results of the dynamic query session.
 16. The non-transitory,computer-readable of claim 15, wherein defining the one or more rulescomprises defining at least one rule defining the one or more actionsdirected to the one or more records based on the results of the dynamicquery session.
 17. The non-transitory, computer-readable of claim 16,wherein the pre-defined condition comprises an event related to each ofthe one or more records.
 18. The non-transitory, computer-readable ofclaim 16, wherein the pre-defined condition comprises s value of a fieldin each of the one or more records.
 19. The non-transitory,computer-readable of claim 16, wherein launching the dynamic querysession comprises assigning a result to at least one query of thedynamic query session.
 20. The non-transitory, computer-readable ofclaim 16, wherein launching the dynamic query session comprisespresenting, through a user interface, a prompt to a user of the system,the prompt indicating at least one query of the dynamic query session,and receiving, from the user, a result for the at least one query.